Indoor living has become a challenge to our health due to the numerous toxins we are exposed to. We spend a staggering 90% or more of our lives indoors, which means the vast majority of the 3000 gallons of air we breathe in each day comes from the air in our homes, offices and schools.1 For most of us, indoor air quality has deteriorated due to the types of furnishings and synthetic materials we now live with compared with the more natural materials that adorned our homes and schools in the middle of the 20th century.
Studies conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other groups acknowledge that indoor air quality is, on an average, five times worse than outdoor air quality. Research shows that the source of much of the pollution comes from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) being emitted from carpets, paints, wood stains, adhesives (in wood and plastic products), computers, TVs, typical household chemical cleaners, mold, and most scents and odors (Figure 1).1,2,3 Examples of VOCs from these sources include benzene, methyl chloride and formaldehyde. Chronic exposure to airborne VOCs can cause cancer, liver and kidney damage, central nervous system damage, and lowered immune system functioning. Additionally, exposure to formaldehyde has a strong correlation with childhood asthma, and maternal exposure to VOCs during in utero development has been correlated with increased eczema in children.4,5 The World Health Organization reported in 2012 that more than one in eight global deaths was a result of air pollution exposure. This finding confirms that air pollution is now the world’s largest single environmental health risk.6